Episode 57: Lisa Helmi Johanson Gets Muddy About Postpartum and Traumatic Birth PTSD

Actor and musician Lisa Helmi Johanson gets deeply vulnerable about her harrowing experience with postpartum PTSD following a traumatic 68-hour labor and emergency C-section. In this cathartic, tender, and surprisingly funny conversation, Lisa opens up about brainspotting therapy, intrusive thoughts, identity loss, and what it means to slowly piece yourself back together while parenting in a world that doesn’t prioritize maternal mental health. This is an essential listen for anyone who’s felt broken, gaslit, or utterly alone in early motherhood.

Bio: Lisa Helmi Johanson is a biracial, multi-hyphenate artist whose work spans acting, music, writing, and activism. A classically trained violinist and vocalist, she made her Off-Broadway debut soon after moving to NYC and went on to star as Christmas Eve in the national tour of Avenue Q, later appearing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on tour, and in TV and film (Law & Order, Hallmark).

During the pandemic, Lisa became a community organizer and turned to writing to explore her identity as a Korean-Finnish American woman and mother. Her plays—including The Porch on Windy Hill and Kim Loo Gets a Redo—have been staged regionally and in NYC, with new projects in development including Zitkala-Sa’s Astonishing Wild West and Aigoo, Jinjja?.

At her core, Lisa is a storyteller committed to making the world more just and beautiful—for her audience, and for her child.

Lisa's Social Media: @Hurricane_Helmi, www.LisaHelmiJohanson.com

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Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). Audio mixed by Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost). Filmed and recorded in the Barrow Lounge at @TheMalin West Village.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

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